§ PUBLISHED JUDGMENT · 2024

Jessica Tuffin v University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

[2024] EWHC 3318 (KB)·High Court (King's Bench Division)·20 December 2024

After spinal surgery the hospital failed to give Ms Tuffin the prescribed anti-clotting injection, and she developed a deep vein thrombosis and post-thrombotic syndrome; three years later her leg was amputated above the knee. The judge held the trust liable for the DVT and its after-effects but found the amputation was caused by complex regional pain syndrome from the surgery itself, not the clot.

Outcome

Mixed outcome

Sum stated in judgment

Not stated

Claim type

DVT & Blood Clot

Decided

Liability decided at trial

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§ WHAT HAPPENED

The facts, in brief.

Defendant: University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust · this trust’s claims data

Injury: Deep vein thrombosis of the left iliac veins and post-thrombotic syndrome after omitted Clexane; left above-knee amputation three years later (found to be caused by complex regional pain syndrome, not the DVT)

Specialty: Spinal surgery / thromboprophylaxis · England

§ WHAT THE COURT SAID

In the judgment’s own words.

“I find that the defendant is liable to the claimant for the DVT and post thrombotic syndrome but not for the CRPS and not for her left above knee amputation.”

The money

Trial of causation only; no damages figure. The trust was held liable for the DVT and post-thrombotic syndrome but not for the CRPS or the amputation.

§ WHY IT MATTERS

What this case shows.

A missed dose of thromboprophylaxis that causes a DVT is negligent, but compensation covers only the harm the clot actually caused. Where a separate condition drives the worst outcome, the claimant must show the negligence at least materially contributed to it.

About dvt & blood clot claims →

§ MORE DVT & BLOOD CLOT JUDGMENTS

Claim failed

Critchlow v University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust

[2022] EWHC 949 (QB)·2022·Liability decided at trial

A former lorry driver with a history of pulmonary embolism attended A&E and clinics in 2015 with chest pain and calf symptoms; the Trust admitted it should have done a Wells score and imaging at the first visit. The judge found he did not actually have a clot on that date and that the later reduction of his apixaban was not negligent, so the claim failed.

An admitted failure to investigate only leads to compensation if the investigation would have found something. Normal D-dimer results were decisive evidence against a missed clot.

All dvt & blood clot judgments →

Contains information licensed under the Open Justice - Licence v2.0. Judgments from Find Case Law, The National Archives. Summaries are ours; amounts only where printed in the judgment.

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